Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

K yle charges down the corridor and halts when he sees me.

“Zarla!” He runs to me, drops to his knees, and pulls me into his arms. “What happened?”

I can still feel Amaros in my mind, even now, and the pain from his burn, or whatever the fuck he did to my wrist, lingers.

“I’m okay. Really.” I look at him, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

“Tell me who did this.”

I show him the mark on my wrist left by Amaros.

He grabs my arm, studying the mark, his eyes wild with rage. “Who the fuck did this? I’ll kill them for touching you!”

“Amaros. I don’t know how he did it, but he got into my mind. It felt so real, and he knows where I am. He said he’s coming for me.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here. This keeps fucking happening when I’m not around.” He cups my cheek and holds my face between his hands. “He can’t hurt you. I won’t let him.”

I nod, and he kisses me.

“I can still feel him in my mind. I need to get him out.”

He takes my hand and leads me down the corridor. “We’ll figure out a way, I promise.”

I look up at him, and I can still see the frustration in his gaze after what happened earlier at the training grounds. Zaph being there only made things worse. Kyle is still battling with the whole dragon-shifter thing and hasn’t shifted since Drakon was here. I know it bothers him that his parents never mentioned it. And I don’t blame him for feeling that way.

“How are you holding up?” I ask.

We head outside the castle and over to a pathway that winds through the forest out the back of the grounds. It’s beautiful out here, and the stars light up the night sky.

He blows out a breath. “I just don’t get why my father kept something so important from me.” He stops walking and looks at me. “I can turn into a fucking dragon. It’s insane.”

I tilt my head at him. “It’s pretty cool, though. But yes, he should have told you. Maybe you need to speak to him about it.”

He rakes his hand through his hair. “Oh, I’ll most definitely speak to him about it.”

We keep walking, and I reassuringly squeeze his hand. “I’m sure he had his reasons. Maybe he was hoping you wouldn’t shift at all.”

I kick a pinecone sitting in the middle of the pathway, and it skitters across the ground and rolls off into the bushes. We’re almost halfway through the forest now, and the other side of it provides a great view of the Kingdom. It’s gorgeous from up here. Patron showed us this spot the other night.

“I’ve had an uncle this whole time, and my father never even told me. Maybe I should just go to Pyrrhus and find out from Drakon.”

We stop near the edge of a cliff that overlooks the Kingdom, and Kyle pulls me to his side. The view is breathtaking with the sun making its descent in the distance, casting the most gorgeous pink, gold, and orange streaks across the sky, reflecting down over the city and the giant marble statues. Even the snow-capped mountains have a pink glow to them.

“I know you want answers, but I don’t know if Drakon is the best place to start. It sounds like he and your father didn’t see eye to eye.”

He presses a kiss to my head. “Well, maybe I can ask Drakon about that, too.”

“Why don’t you try to shift?”

He pulls away from me, walks back toward the forest, and presses his hand up against a tree. “I don’t know how to.”

I walk over to him, wrap my arms around him from behind, and rest my cheek against his back. “Try to remember how it felt when you shifted the last time. Drakon attacked me. He put me in danger to force you to shift.”

He tenses at the memory, and I wonder if he’s replaying it through his mind.

“I was furious with him. I wanted to kill him.”

“That’s good. Use that. Remember the feeling and channel it.”

He pushes away from me, pacing back and forth along the edge of the cliff, and I know he’s digging for that same feeling.

I fold my arms and lean against the tree. He can do this. I know he can.

He balls his fists, deep in concentration, but nothing happens. Then suddenly flames ignite in his palms, and he throws a ball of fire at the forest in frustration, catching a tree on fire.

“Fuck!” he shouts, hurrying over to put it out.

I dig up handfuls of dirt and throw them at the flames, and after a few goes, it eventually puts the fire out.

He punches the tree and shouts, “I can’t fucking do this!”

I stay back, knowing he needs space right now, and his angry gaze eventually finds mine. He stares at me, breathing hard.

“I’m sorry,” he says, all the anger melting away, leaving only disappointment in its place.

I fold my arms and look at him, my gorgeous mate. “You don’t have to apologise for being frustrated. You have every right to be. And I know you want to figure all of this out. I think I’ve been scared to admit it because I don’t trust the dragon shifters. But I think you do need to go and see Drakon.”

He walks over and pins me against the tree, pressing his body into mine. He runs his nose along my neck and breathes in my scent then tilts my chin up to him. His lips crash into mine, and I grab onto his back, digging my nails in and tugging him closer. This need I have for him is always there, and it always will be.

His touch ignites the flames inside me, and they burn into a raging inferno of desire. His tongue brushes against mine, and by the gods, he tastes so good. He sucks my bottom lip and pulls back, his face a breath away from mine.

“I need to go.”

I swallow hard. “I know you do. Drakon has the answers you need.”

“He may be our only hope to stop Amaros. I need to understand more about who I am.”

I rub my nose against his. “And you don’t want to go to your father first?”

“No. He kept this from me. I have to go to Drakon. To learn to control my dragon.”

Something deep inside me tells me this isn’t a good idea. That if he goes to Pyrrhus, he may never be allowed to leave again. What if that’s Drakon’s plan?

“There might be another way. Maybe we could?—”

He shakes his head and presses his finger against my lips. “There is no other way.”

“Fine, then. I’m going with you.”

He backs up and stares at me. “No, I won’t put you in that kind of danger.”

I throw my arms up. “I’m in more danger here without you, where Amaros could portal in at any moment and take me. I’m going with you, and there’s no discussion to be had. I won’t be apart from you again. I can’t.”

He pulls me against him, and only then do I realise I’m shaking.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he says, brushing his thumb over my cheek. “We’ll go together.”

He pulls away and takes my hand.

“I do need to let my father know, or else he’ll think the worst. But I can open a portal for you into Pyrrhus and then come when I can?”

He tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear. “You sure?”

“I’m sure. I won’t be long anyway.” I release his hand, taking a few steps away from him, and then reach my hand out.

Picturing Pyrrhus, I open a portal there. Kyle stares through it, his face a mix of excitement and apprehension.

He strides up to me and kisses me. “Don’t take too long, okay?”

“I won’t. I’ve opened a portal away from the castle. The heat there is fierce, although I suppose that’s not going to be an issue for you. The guards will come, if they aren’t there already, to escort you to Drakon. Be careful.”

I glance through the portal, and sure enough, several dragons fly toward it.

“I will. See you soon.” He walks up to the portal and steps right through it.

I leave it open for a moment to ensure he is okay, but once the dragons land and shift into their male form, I know he will be. He’s Drakon’s nephew. They won’t harm him.

After I close the portal, I jog back through the forest, which has grown darker now, and head toward the castle. Sticks snap and leaves blow across the pathway, and I shiver.

I glance down at the marking Amaros left on my wrist and trace my fingers across it. I know he isn’t here, but I still fear for the moment he decides to show up.

Which, in my mind, could be at any moment.

It doesn’t take me long to find Atticus, who’s seated and having dinner with the rest of my family. They all look my way when I rush through the door. He stands, raising his brows at me.

“Joining us for dinner?” he asks, glancing around. “Where’s Kyle?”

I eye the others then look at Atticus. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Zaph snorts. “More secrets, I see.”

I narrow my gaze at him, not in the mood to bother responding, and follow Atticus out of the room.

“What is it?” he asks, his hands on his hips.

“Kyle’s gone to Pyrrhus.”

His eyes grow wide. “What the fuck for?”

“To speak with Drakon. He’s one of them, Father. He needs to learn how to be a dragon and control his fire powers.”

He shakes his head. “He should have gone to Apollon.”

I rake my hand through my hair. “Maybe, but he’s upset Apollon didn’t tell him himself. So he wants to speak to Drakon. I don’t know if it was a good idea or not. I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. But I’m going to see Apollon and Zeta. At the very least, they should be told that Kyle knows.”

He blows out a breath and paces around the corridor. “Apollon will not be happy about this. Be warned.”

I give him a tight-lipped smile. “I know. I better go. After I visit with them, I am going to Pyrrhus, too.”

He closes his eyes and grunts in frustration. “I was afraid you might say that. But I understand. Just go. If you need me, open a portal back here.”

I hug him. “Thank you. I will.”

I open a portal into Zarquon and step through it. Atticus watches me from the other side as I allow it to snap shut. I know it’s risky, travelling between the Kingdoms like this, alone. Amaros is in my mind, watching, and he could come for me, knowing how vulnerable I am.

But I can’t worry about that right now. I have to do this and get back to Kyle.

My portal opens outside the castle grounds, and I hurry up to the main entrance, where two guards stand out front.

“I need to see Apollon and Zeta. It’s urgent.”

They nod, opening the doors for me to enter. I’m not far through the castle when Apollon comes striding down the corridor toward me.

“Zarla?” he asks, his brows pulled together. “We wondered what happened to you. Have you seen Kyle?”

“There is much to catch up on, but there’s something more important you must know. Kyle is in Pyrrhus.”

His jaw tenses. “Follow me.”

I don’t say a word as I follow him through the castle and into the sitting room where Zeta is having a drink on the couch.

She looks up at us as we enter and jumps to her feet. “What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

Apollon glances at me. “Tell my wife what you just told me.”

I swallow hard and look at Zeta. “Kyle’s in Pyrrhus.”

She gasps, hurrying to Apollon’s side, and clings to his arm, pure fear in her eyes. “How?”

I bite my bottom lip. “It’s a long story. He’s okay.”

Apollon grunts. “No, he’s not. Not if he’s with Drakon. Take a seat and tell us everything.”

I follow them to the couches and sit. “Em drugged me that night that we were all here celebrating, and she allowed Amaros into the Kingdom. He opened a portal down on the beach and took me back through it to Silanthia. That’s where I have been all this time as his prisoner. He forced a mating bond on me that overshadowed the one I have with Kyle.”

Zeta gasps, covering her mouth, and Apollon growls low.

“That explains a lot,” Apollon says. “That fucking male. He thinks he can do whatever he wants.”

“Kyle came to Silanthia. He and Amaros fought, and I only just managed to escape when I passed into Gallerria. Kyle eventually showed up there, too. But he wasn’t the same.”

Zeta frowns. “Zarla, I’m so sorry. If we had known…” She pauses, unable to finish the sentence. “What do you mean, he wasn’t the same?”

I sit forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “It’s okay. I mean he wasn’t himself. He kept burning up, and his skin kept catching fire.”

Zeta and Apollon glance at one another. They know what I’m getting at.

“Drakon came to Gallerria. Kyle knows everything. He offered for Kyle to go to Pyrrhus to learn to control his fire powers and his dragon. Why didn’t you tell him?”

Apollon rests his head in his hands, and Zeta huddles close to him, rubbing his back.

He finally glances up at me. “This was a burden, a family secret, if you will, that I never wanted him to know. I have prayed to the old gods every single day that he wouldn’t shift. Hell, I almost thought he wasn’t going to. I thought they had heard my pleas. I was wrong.”

Zeta wipes the tears from beneath her eyes. “How’s he doing? Has he shifted?”

I nod. “He’s okay. He’s just hurt, and he needed answers. I did suggest he come to you, but he didn’t want to. He was upset you never told him, and he sees Drakon as the one to connect those missing pieces for him. And yes, he has shifted.”

Apollon stands. “Drakon can’t be trusted.”

Zeta and I both stand as well.

“I know,” I say. “I spent time in Pyrrhus before Kyle came to find me in Silanthia. It’s a long story. But I didn’t know about Kyle at that time. When I was worried about him, I went back there, and Drakon told me the truth. I couldn’t keep it from Kyle. Maybe I’m to blame here, too.”

Zeta hugs me. “No, you’re not. You’ve done the right thing in telling him. And in coming to see us, as well.”

Apollon shuffles impatiently from side to side. “Take us to Drakon.”

Zeta stares at him. “Apollon, no. It’s too dangerous!”

“I will not leave our son there with him to be fed a bunch of lies. We must go there. Open a portal, Zarla. Now.”

I swallow hard and shoot Zeta an apologetic look. I did promise Kyle I was coming, and I plan to. But I didn’t expect to be bringing his parents with me. Gods above, I hope he doesn’t hate me for this.

I step away from the couch and raise my hand, opening a portal into Pyrrhus in the same place I did earlier for Kyle. Dragons swirl in the distance, and Zeta gasps.

“Follow me,” I tell them and step through. Once we’re all through, I allow it to snap shut. “Zeta, once the guards arrive, they can place a magic shield over us that protects us from the heat.”

Apollon snorts. “The heat doesn’t affect us, Zarla.”

“Oh, of course.” I glance at Zeta.

I didn’t realise she was one of them, but it makes sense she’s a dragon shifter, too.

Apollon backs away from us. “You can ride me into the castle. It’ll be less suspicious when they see I am one of them.”

He shifts into his dragon, and he’s huge, covered in black scales that gleam beneath the sun’s rays. I’m surprised he isn’t gold like Kyle, but I don’t mention that as I follow Zeta up onto his back.

“Did you think Kyle would shift?” I ask her, and she nods.

It makes sense, I suppose, considering she is Apollon’s wife and Kyle’s mother.

“I hoped he would never shift, but deep down I knew it would happen.”

“Why?” I ask, needing to understand why it’s such a concern for them.

She smiles at me and wraps her arms around my waist as Apollon pushes off into the sky. “That is a conversation to be had with Apollon, I’m afraid. He can explain it better than I ever could.”

I let it go for now, and Apollon flies us to the castle. We’re not far away when we’re flanked by several dragons, one of which is likely Atlas, who has no doubt sensed Apollon is an outsider. I have to give it to them—their defences here are on point.

One of the dragons flanking us glides down to the castle and lands, and Apollon follows, landing behind him.

The dragon shifts back into his male form, and I was right. It’s Atlas.

“Zarla, pleasure to see you again. And who do we have here?”

I climb off Apollon’s back and then help Zeta down, and Apollon shifts back to his male form. His gaze is locked on Atlas, and his entire body is tense as if he’s ready to fight. I glance at Atlas, who is watching me.

“These are Kyle’s parents, Apollon and Zeta,” I explain.

“Aunty, Uncle, it’s nice to meet you both,” Atlas says, although there’s something fake about his tone, and I know he doesn’t think it’s nice at all.

The tension in the air is so thick, I can feel it throughout my whole body. I’d rather be anywhere but here right now.

Apollon storms toward Atlas, his eyes blazing as he towers over him. “Where is my son?”

Atlas stares at him for far too long before he replies, “Inside.”

Apollon shoves a finger into his chest. “Take us to him. Now.”